


A Sense of Belonging

by SheWhoWalksUnseen



Series: One Man's Trash is Another's Treasure [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Finn is a cinnamon roll, Gen, I still can't believe I wrote this, M/M, basically trash from my own au, deaf!mute!Poe, spoilers for the new film
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-31
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-05-10 13:24:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5587516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SheWhoWalksUnseen/pseuds/SheWhoWalksUnseen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Poe wasn't expecting to be saved by a Stormtrooper of all people, but then again this day was bringing all kinds of surprises.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Sense of Belonging

**Author's Note:**

> If you don't know what my deaf!mute!Poe au is, look at this post: http://ineedastormpilot.tumblr.com/post/136274669990/deafmutepoe-au-the-only-real-big-difference-from
> 
> The only real big thing that is changed is the fact that Poe is deaf and mute. I can't believe I've become such StormPilot trash when I only saw the movie two days after it premiered. Forgive me.

 Poe still felt like everything was a blur. He could barely keep his eyes open, not wanting to see the dark cell or the restraints or the Stormtrooper standing guard over him. Frankly he wasn’t sure that he deserved to. His head was pounding heavily as if someone were pushing against it and – he quickly shoved that imagery out of his mind.

 He didn’t want to think about what had happened in the past hour with Kylo Ren. He didn’t want to think about it because if he did then he would break.

 The fact that someone had dredged his own darkest fears and secrets out from within his own _mind_ was… it was… terrifying. Never had he felt more exposed, more vulnerable. A sense of shame washed over him as he recalled choking out the location of the map, sweat and tears mingling as they ran down his face. Kylo Ren hadn’t even given him a backwards glance before he released Poe from the pain and left the room.

 Shit, when had his hands started shaking? He leaned back, away from the restraints, and tried to forget where he was. Maybe if he believed he was back in his bunk with BB-8 at his feet or cleaning his X-wing fighter, he would wake up there.

 (Poe knew this was far-fetched but it was better than thinking back over what had transpired. _Anything_ was better than that.)

 So when he was dragged out of his restraints and into a pair of handcuffs by a Stormtrooper (was it the same one who was guarding him? Poe wasn’t sure and he didn’t really care) he forced his eyes open, breathing as calmly as he could. He knew what it meant when a prisoner lost their use (he wasn’t useless, _wasn’t useless_ ) but that didn’t stop his heart from clenching at the thought. It didn’t help that he couldn’t hear what the Stormtroopers were saying, so as to figure out what was going on.

 He was pushed into a smaller hallway abruptly and Poe had to brace himself so that he didn’t collide accidentally with the wall. He turned around in annoyance and his thoughts stuttered to a halt as he realized the Stormtrooper was staring at him.

 Without his helmet on.

  _What?_

 Poe had never seen a Stormtrooper remove his helmet, never heard of it happening in all his life. So it was safe to say that he was very confused by what was happening currently.

 The Stormtrooper with mocha skin’s lips were moving and Poe snapped out of his daze to mouth the word  _Deaf_ to the other. Immediately the man’s mouth formed an O shape and he hesitated, as if pondering what to do. Poe watched him, the shock still lingering enough for him to not question this strange situation. He wondered if he would wake up and find himself back in that cell, if this was all a dream.

 The man glanced anxiously at the passing Stormtroopers before licking his lips and turning back to Poe. He gestured to himself and then pointed to the handcuffs restraining the Resistance pilot. He mouthed _Rescue._

 Poe’s heart leapt and suddenly everything became sharper. It was as if someone had thrust him into sudden clarity.

  _Why are you doing this?_ He mouthed back, unable to move his hands much due to his handcuffs. He wished that the Stormtrooper would release his hands but he figured that it probably had something to do with keeping up appearances before he escaped.

  _Because it’s the right thing to do._

 Poe studied the man’s face, those eyes that held a trace of fright in the midst of all that anxiety, and realized they were close enough for his hands to brush the other’s. A small crooked smile stretched across his face and for the first time since he had been taken captive, he wanted to laugh.

  _You need a pilot._ The Stormtrooper obviously wasn’t planning on staying here if he was trying to help Poe get out – and the only way was with a ship. He shook aside thoughts of what might happen if this brave soul were caught in the act.

  _I need a pilot_ , the other admitted with a slight grimace. The beads of sweat on his brow were highly noticeable now. _Can you fly a TIE fighter?_

 Poe smiled wider at the silent question. _I can fly anything._

 The Stormtrooper – well, more like ex-Stormtrooper now – smiled back a little for a moment as well and Poe fought back the urge to hug him. The smile quickly faded and the other nodded at him before pulling his helmet back on. Poe wanted to tell him to take it off as a sense of wrongness filled him gazing at the other.

 But he didn't. He nodded back and schooled his expression into one of calm defeat, and allowed the man to lead him out of the hallway and back into the open.

* * *

 Despite having never flown a TIE fighter in his life (though he had always wanted to), Poe thought he did a pretty good job of getting them out of there. Of course, that was an enormous thanks to the man sitting behind him firing away at his ex-comrades and whooping with glee whenever he managed to strike one down.

 (It was adorable, but Poe didn’t dare tell the other that. He almost wished he could hear what the cheers sounded like. He brushed away that odd thought hurriedly.)

 He realized with a start that he didn’t even know his rescuer’s name. There hadn’t been much need at the time for introductions, seeing as how they were more concerned with escaping in the moment, but he felt a pang of guilt for not asking.

 He gently tapped the ex-Stormtrooper on the shoulder with one hand to get his attention, keeping one hand on the controls as the ship steadied itself smoothly, and mouthed _What’s your name?_

 The way the man’s mouth moved reminded Poe of a soldier reciting lines. _FN-2187._

 Poe frowned, confused. _FN – what?_ Why was he spouting off some sort of serial code?

  _That’s the only name they gave me_ , the man explained to him. He gave a small shrug as if it were no big deal.

 Poe’s gut churned as a sharp realization swept over him. This man behind him probably had been raised from who-knew-how-long (he didn’t want to think the word _birth_ because that was impossible, he couldn’t have been, it was inhuman, and his heart ached thinking about the very idea) with no name. No sense of belonging other than to an army he didn’t want to be in. Just considered another dazed and obedient soldier.

 No. That was wrong. That was immoral.

 Poe remembered in brief flashes the days he and his parents spent teaching each other signs, telling each other stories with solely their hands. He remembered smiling up at his mother as she ruffled his hair, warmth filling the pit of his stomach.

 He needed something to belong to. He couldn’t let the other keep that name – no, it wasn’t even a _name_ , it was more like a damn _number_.

  _Well, I ain’t calling you that_ , Poe mouthed resolutely. _FN, huh? How about…Finn? Can I call you Finn?_

 Warmth settled in his heart as he watched the other’s face as he mouthed the new name to himself. A slow smile, the first genuine one he had seen from the ex-Stormtrooper, spread across the man’s face.

  _Finn. Yeah. Yeah, I like that!_

  _Good to meet you, Finn. I’m Poe, Poe Dameron._

 The man – _Finn_ – smiled back at Poe. _Good to meet you, Poe._ _Where are we going?_

 Poe immediately glanced back to the controls, quickly setting them but making sure that his mouth was turned towards Finn so that the other could see what he was mouthing. _Back to Jakku._

 And everything spirals out of control from there. Angry fast words are silently mouthed to each other, and right when he looks back toward the controls they’re falling out of space towards the planet. Poe barely has time to think over the pounding of his own heart before he is thrown from the crash after being ejected from the TIE fighter. The last thought he has is of the frantic look in the ex-Stormtrooper’s eyes, and he remembers the happiness in them moments prior.

**Author's Note:**

> If people want me to continue, I will write more one-shots (not a full story, mind you, because I have like 3 others on this site alone to work on, but a series of one-shots) about this au.
> 
> (Also for more StormPilot trash, follow my Star Wars side-blog: ineedastormpilot.tumblr.com)


End file.
